Facial recognition technology: How gardaí plan to use AI in major crime investigations

As gardaí push for AI and facial recognition to speed up investigations, critics warn of privacy, bias and surveillance risks

Committee members expressed concern at the processing of images of innocent people or of the wrong person being identified via facial recognition technology. Picture: Jordan Pettitt/PA

The scenes of unhinged violence and looting on Dublin’s O’Connell St less than two years ago are still fresh in people’s memories.

The task of identifying those involved in the rioting and criminality on November 23, 2023, has proved to be a colossal undertaking — one largely done manually.